RAVINO GARDENS

RAVINO GARDENS

Guide and article about Ravino Gardens in Forio d'Ischia. Photos, directions, entry-times and prices all included.

﻿Ravino Gardens - Much More Than Just a Walk in the Park

Perfectly situated in a sunny position overlooking the bay of Citara, Ravino Gardens is a botanical haven, the fruit of 40 years of passionate labour from its creator Giuseppe D’Ambra. As a sailor in his younger days, D’Ambra sailed the world and it was from his experiences and adventures that his idea to create an environment that encapsulated all of the botanical wonders he had discovered on his travels was first born.

Captain D’Ambra was always fascinated by plantlife and his journeys around the world only served to fuel his interest further by being exposed to new and fascinating flowers, plants and wildlife. By collecting rare specimens on his travels, Giuseppe soon realized that he would require an area big enough to house them all and which would allow them to flourish.

What started out as a hobby, became a life’s work for D’Ambra as he gained more knowledge about how best to nurture his ever-growing collection and it was from this that Ravino Gardens as we see it today was evolved.

Described as a “Tropical Mediterranean Botanical Park”, Ravino incorporates a range of beliefs and natural ideals. The D’Ambra family are staunch believers in bio-diversity, sustainability and the environment and the Ravino complex never ceases in its quest to unite and showcase these beliefs with new ideas. Giuseppe himself conducts guided-walks around the gardens every Saturday at 5:30pm, where he shares his passion and explains the finer points of the garden's exhibits. During the tours, visitors are shown how the plants can be used for their herbal, aromatherapy and homeopathic benefits.

Another part of the ethos at Ravino is “Ecological Tourism”, with its contribution towards eco-sustainability being at the heart of the operation from the very beginning. From the outset, the gardens worked with local authorities in Forio d’Ischia to make the most of local resources and to deploy them in a variety of innovative ways. An example of this is in the use of solar energy which has provided the site with hot water for the last twenty years. Such is the renown of Ravino as a site which seeks to be at the forefront of environmental thinking, it was awarded the title of “Most innovative and sustainable company in Southern Italy” in 2010 by the European Parliament and Council of Europe Observatory.

The botanical garden itself has been meticulously designed to maximise both the visitor’s experience and to ensure its ongoing sustainability. Following a path of around 800 metres (also accessible to wheelchairs), the route around the park offers a fascinating array of diverse environments and scenery. Each living exhibit is precisely labelled in order to increase understanding of these rare and precious examples. The collection of cacti and succulents is unique within Europe as it offers an outdoor environment from which the plants can be displayed, most of which can normally only be seen in carefully controlled indoor areas.

Apart from the rare and exotic examples of cacti and bonsai, one of the star exhibits at Ravino is the “Wollemi Pine”. Once thought to be extinct, the plant which dates back to the Jurassic period, 90 million years ago, was re-discovered in 1994 and now grows freely in the gardens under the careful attention of Giuseppe D’Ambra.

Whilst walking around Ravino you are sure to become aware of a strange sound that is undetectable to the untrained ear. However, the source of this sound soon becomes apparent when you see that you have become accompanied on your walk by some of the park’s most-celebrated residents, the peacocks. The beautiful birds freely roam around the complex and are happy to pose for photographs from visitors without fear after becoming accustomed to their daily encounters with new friends. The undoubted star of the show is the male peacock with his incredible brightly-coloured feathers which are displayed during courtship rituals. Depending on his mood that day you may be lucky enough to see the full plumage, but even without his extravagant show of virility, he is a fascinating subject upon which to gaze and study with his array of deep blue colours that glisten in the sunshine.

Part of the Ravino Gardens complex is the Moby Dick Art Gallery which is used to exhibit the work of local artists. The building itself is fascinating with its curved interior given the feeling of a cave that has been completely white-washed to reveal a bright and cool interior, by way of contrast to the warm outside climate. The exhibitions change regularly and are often in support of the local community.

By climbing the stairs inside the Moby Dick Gallery you eventually reach an area set aside for relaxation. Amongst a giant chess-set, are a set of comfortable outdoor furniture from which you can enjoy the incredible panoramic views down to the bay of Citara and spreading across Ischia and out to sea. This sheltered area more or less marks the halfway point of the path around Ravino and is the perfect place to rest before continuing around the rest of the garden.

Once you have completed the full walk you can then enjoy a snack or a cocktail at the lovely Cactus Lounge Cafe which has seats both indoors and outdoors among the garden’s plants and flowers. During summer evenings, the Cactus Lounge stages evenings of local culture with particular attention to food, music and dancing, while you can also enjoy the park with its different perspectives of dusk and evening.

The complex is also the home to a wide variety of other activities throughout the year and partuclarly in the summer. There are exhibitions of local arts and crafts, ceramics, sculpture and photography, as well as yoga classes, giant-chess tournaments and tango dancing.

After just a short while of entering the Ravino Gardens environment, it becomes clear and obvious that you have entered a very different world from the one that you left outside. A world that encompasses some fascinating examples of nature, nurtured by man in an ecologically and environmentally sustainable way that leaves you with a feeling of calm and natural wonder. This centre of sustainable excellence has evolved into a concept, an environment where new philosophies to improve the environment and the inner-self are welcomed and encouraged.

So if you’re looking for a little bit more than just a simple “walk in the park”, be sure to visit Ravino so that you too can become the latest in a long line of visitors to benefit from its inspirational presence.

Dion Protani

Ischia Review

Ravino Gardens is situated in Forio, next to the SS270 which winds its way around the perimeter of the island. There is a bus-stop just outside the gardens where you can take a number 1, 2, CS or CD bus in both directions.

Opening Times and Prices

Opening Times:

Monday: 09:00 - Sunset

Tuesday: Closed (open to private tours)

Wednesday: 09:00 - Sunset

Thursday: Closed (open to private tours)

Friday: 09:00 - Sunset

Saturday: 09:00 - Sunset

Sunday: 09:00 - Sunset

Entrance Prices:

€9 for adults

€4 for children between the ages of 5 and 12

Free to children under 5 years of age

You can also arrange private guided-tours for groups by contacting Luca D’Ambra on (0039) 329 498 3923 or by e-mailing luca.dambra@ravino.it

For further details about Ravino Gardens, please click on the green button below to be re-directed to their official website.